Dear President van der Leyen and members of the European Commission,
In the coming days, you will decide whether Europe honors one of the most inspiring democratic movements in its history — or lets an extraordinary expression of citizen power go unanswered.
Two years ago, a small group of young women in Slovenia launched My Voice, My Choice with a simple conviction: that every woman in Europe deserves the right to safe and accessible abortion care. Against the odds, they built a Europe-wide movement that united over 1.2 million citizens across all member states and brought their demand to the heart of European democracy.
Last December, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of their proposal — affirming what this campaign has always stood for: that equality, dignity and bodily autonomy are not privileges but fundamental rights.
equality, dignity and bodily autonomy are not privileges but fundamental rights.
The European Parliament has spoken; now the European Commission has the opportunity to act.
At a time when women’s rights are under attack and many have lost faith in collective action, My Voice, My Choice shows what courage, persistence and solidarity can achieve. It reminds us that democratic engagement is alive — and that young people, especially young women, are still leading the fight for a more just and equal Europe.
At a time when women’s rights are under attack and many have lost faith in collective action, My Voice, My Choice shows what courage, persistence and solidarity can achieve.
The European Commission has the opportunity to turn this historic grassroots effort into lasting policy — to prove that when citizens speak, Europe listens.
We urge you to act with the same hope and determination that brought millions together for this cause. The world is watching, not only to see what decision you make, but also to see whether Europe continues to lead on equality, democracy and the rights of women.
In solidarity,
Jacques Audiard, Film Director
Tarana Burke, Founder of ‘me too’ Movement
Sophia Bush, Actor and Activist
Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Helen Clark, 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand, Former Administrator of United Nations Development Programme
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former U.S. Secretary of State
Mati Diop, Actor and Director
Virginie Efira, Actor
Dalia Grybauskaitė, Former President of Lithuania
Geeta Rao Gupta, Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues
Tarja Halonen, Former President of Finland
Arthur Harari, Film Director
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Former Prime Minister of Iceland
Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland
Beatriz Merino, Former Prime Minister of Peru
Alyssa Milano, Actor and UNICEF Ambassador
Alyse Nelson, President & CEO, Vital Voices Global Partnership
Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Anja Rubik, Model, Philanthropist, Founder of Sexedpl Foundation
Mark Ruffalo, Actor and Advocate
Niels Schneider, Actor
Gloria Steinem, Author & Feminist Organizer
Justine Triet, Film Director
Justin Trudeau, Former Prime Minister of Canada
Mabel van Oranje, Human Rights Activist
Diane von Furstenberg, Fashion Designer, Author and Philanthropist
Disclaimer
POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
- The sponsor is Vital Voices Global Partnership
- The ultimate controlling entity is Vital Voices Global Partnership
More information here.